Home Is Where the Fragrance Is!

Home fragrance sales have slowed, but new packaging options may give the market a boost.

By Veronica MacDonald, Associate Editor

The candle market isn’t burning brightly this year. Candle sales have hit a plateau. Sales of other environmental fragrance forms, however, have not been hit as hard. Air fresheners have found success, especially in the plug-in segment. But in the advent of slowing candle sales, new ideas are born. This is where the packaging industry steps in. At the forefront of consumer communication, attractive and eye-catching packaging is key. And it seems for the coming year, home fragrance packaging suppliers have a lot to offer with both traditional and groundbreaking materials.

Since the start of the current candle craze, glass has been the most sought-after candle package. Not only is it classy and shimmering in a flame’s reflection, but glass helps the consumer choose the right color in the store.

“Ninety percent of candle votives are clear glass to show the beauty of the candle and color of the wax,” noted Jenifer Brady of Garwood, NJ-based Brad-Pak. “The combination of the color of the wax and the fragrance make a consumer more apt to buy a candle.”

Other industry executives insist that glass is popular due to its versatility. According to Ana Levy, sales manager, New High Glass. The Miami, FL-based company’s glass decorating options are more extensive than other materials.

“Most containers used for candles are glass because it is resistant to heat and glass can be decorated, frosted or silk-screened,” said Ms. Levy. “Jars with covers are quite popular, as well as round- and square-shaped containers.”

Glass is also an integral part of many candle accessories that showcase several candles at once, according to Dianne DiMasi of Medford, MA-based Crossmarket.com, a Red-tagBiz company and wholesale marketplace specializing in houseware, giftware and related products. Ms. DiMasi noted that metal lanterns have become increasingly popular with materials such as brass and pewter-like alloys with glass sides. Popular styles include Chinese classic style, punched out barn lamps and modern stained glass lanterns.

Candelabras, large decorative candle pieces having several arms or branches, are also increasingly appearing in consumers’ homes, especially in variants such as brass, chrome and wrought iron, she stated. Ceramics and wood will enter the market, and Ms. DiMasi insists lucite will soon follow. Can-delabra designs run the gamut from baroque to quaint. Other candle trends include floor stands and wall sconces, she stated.

Metal Madness

Since the inception of Calvin Klein’s CK One, aluminum has been popular and has found its way into several personal care categories. This has become especially true in the spray market, according to industry executives.

“New containers for air fresheners and sprays are aluminum because it is different,” said Steve Nussbaum, director of marketing, O.Berk Company. “There is a lot of glass and plastic out there, and glass is expensive and breakable. Aluminum is seamless, rust-proof, classy and recyclable.”

O.Berk offers 2- to 10-oz. brushed aluminum bottles and closures with various characteristics such as the same cap or pump fitting every bottle, no seams, clear lacquer external coating and epoxy phenolic internal coating.

Brushed aluminum is renowned for use in high-end items. But the idea of using metal has also bridged over to the candle market, where tins with covered lids are now found on shelves with candles hidden inside.

“Candles are increasingly being housed in cans,” stated Mr. Nussbaum. “The choices are tin or aluminum, and tin is less expensive but cannot prevent rusting. Either way, metal doesn’t break like glass.”

O.Berk distributes a complete line of tin candle containers. Available in deep or flat style with rolled safety edges, they range in size from 2- to 8-oz. O.Berk also distributes brushed aluminum bottles and closures in small quantities. They feature screw caps, plastic caps, lotion pumps and spray pump pieces. The sizes can be mixed and matched by carton or pallet and have epoxy phenolic internal coating and clear lacquer external coating. O.Berk’s Aluminum Screw Cap Cans are tall, liquid-fillable cans range in size from 2.6- to 21.7-oz.

“Not only does a candle have to smell good, but it has to look good as well,” opined Vito DiMaio, president of Brooklyn, NY-based Cameo Metal Products. “The newest look is a soft, smooth, matte finish that enhances the candle’s look and mood.” Cameo Metal Products offers aluminum candle lids that are custom formed and plastic fitted to lock in the aroma of the candle.

New High Glass offers aluminum air fresheners with aerosol valves. The company recently announced an alliance with Coster Technologie Speciali, an Italian pump manufacturer. Ms. Levy said, “This new alliance enables us to position ourselves competitively in the market and extend our line of services.” Coster manufactures aerosol valves, spray caps and special actuators, as well as spray pumps for room deodorizers and air fresheners.

Mood-Altering Scents

In addition to candles and air fresheners, aromatherapy products have gained considerable ground in the home fragrance industry in the past decade. Though the main ingredients of aromatherapy, essential oils, can be found in an array of personal care products from soaps to lotions, the oil itself is often sold to the consumer. New High Glass offers container options for these oils.

“New High Glass sells small bottles with caps and droppers for oils that are often used in potpourri,” said Ms. Levy. “Aromatherapy has helped to promote this idea.”

Problems do exist, however, with the volatility of essential oils. They are quick to corrode containers, especially plastics. Many industry suppliers have worked around the clock to create resistant plastics for just this problem.

“A lot of work goes into developing robust pump systems for this new generation of citrus oil-based scents,” said Dennis Desrochers, vice president, sales and marketing, Risdon-AMS (USA), Thomaston, CT. “They smell great and are ‘natural’ but they can wreak havoc on the plastic resins that are used to make pumps. We have done a lot of work in developing pump materials that will work with this new generation of scents.”

Fragrant Extensions

Many candles in the market are not stand-alone products, but rather an extension of a line or a gift-with-purchase. This is a recent phenomenon, according to industry experts contacted by Cosmetic Packaging & Design. Line extensions are nothing new. But bringing fragrance into the home through a product-scented candle to strengthen brand loyalty is something new.

“Many companies have added candles as extensions to a line or they are combined with bath products,” said Brad-Pak’s Ms. Brady. “And often if a 16-oz. jar is used for a bath salt, a marketer will use the same container for a candle, therefore extending brand equity and recognition.”

Crossovers, or related products that hope to survive in a new market segment, are playing the same loyalty game. But the stakes here are much higher, especially with the cost of fine fragrances.

“It seems that some of our customers are looking to expand their basic fragrance offering (colognes and perfumes) to ‘room’ or ‘home’ sprays,” said Mr. Desrochers of Risdon-AMS. “This is not all that new, we have seen this trend for years, but the numbers are quite small. Consumers are generally not thrilled with paying a premium price for a designer air freshener, especially if the competition is a $5 can of Glade.”

Mr. Desrochers said there are benefits to a room spray crossover when so much is already invested in branding a new fragrance. And though it translates nicely for candles, most are gift-with-purchases and not really “purchased” by the consumer, he said.

Risdon-AMS offers packages such as the Mini Mist system, which was used by Snuggle fabric softener to house 2ml samples of the brand’s aromatherapeutic pillow spray. The Mini Mist samplers contain 35 full-sized sprays. Risdon-AMS also offers custom actuators and natural spray pumps, such as the one developed for Technical Concepts‚ a battery-powered, wall-mounted room air freshener. The actuator has two ridges on each top side so that a battery-powered metal arm can press down on the dispenser without causing it to swivel away from the aperture. The air freshener is dispensed automatically, up to 3000 sprays, from 8-oz. plastic bottles. The system is a low temperature emitter for safety reasons.

Little by Little

Some home fragrance products on the market today even feature metered dosing. There was an obvious lack of dispensers in the industry that could emit only a limited amount of product, especially with essential oil products, where a little bit goes a long way. The obstacles involved in pressurized aerosols, however, kept it at the drawing board for years until technological breakthroughs allowed one press of the pump to give the perfect dose in terms of amount and dispersion.

Though SeaquistPerfect Dispensing offers two separate dispensing options, dispensing valves and metered doses, executives noted that the latter is a fast-growing area of interest. Seaquist-Perfect Dispensing, located in Cary, IL, tailored such a product for Intimate Beauty Brands’ White Barn Candle Company. White Barn recently launch-ed a concentrated home fragrance spray. The container features an up-scale, brushed aluminum can in several candle fragrances such as cinnamon and watermelon using the metered dose feature.

“The fragrances are concentrated, but they are not like Glade or Renuzit,” explained Carleen Kreider, vice president, innovation, SeaquistPerfect Dis-pensing. “They are small, 1.5-oz. aesthetic luxury items designed to infuse a desired scent in metered doses.”

SeaquistPerfect Dispensing doses range from 25- to 185mcl and are constructed from polyolefin. Ms. Kreider noted that although swelling can occur in aerosol cans, Seaquist executives have found no compatibility problems with polyolefin. The actuators and inserts can also be custom-matched to enhance brand packaging. And to differentiate SKUs, the actuator, button or overcap can be designed in different colors, Ms. Kreider said.

In addition to metered dosing, multi-option fragrance systems are peaking the interest of the home fragrance industry as well. SC Johnson & Sons recently launched Glade Duet, which features both a gel and a spray to scent a room. The system is manufactured by SeaquistPerfect Dispensing. Glade Duet has two gel packs and a metered dose aerosol dispenser. The foil can either be peeled off of the gels to emit the fragrance into a room, or the dispenser’s arm can be actuated for a burst of fragrance. It meets the need for an immediate aroma, while there is also a constant fragrance in the room, noted Ms. Kreider. This package innovation follows hot on the heels of a consumer trend for a cultivated home environment. “This reinforces the fact that consumers continue to look for and accept innovative ways to surround their environment with fragrance and enjoy them in their space,” said Ms. Kreider. “It is not an aerosol; it is not a gel. It is a mixture of the two.”

The Alternates

According to Barry Vega of Farmingdale-NY-based Orlandi Inc., marketers have begun focusing on new product programs to diversify their product lines and penetrate new markets. Orlandi takes fragrance items to new frontiers, such as Yankee Candle’s car mason jar air freshener, which used Orlandi’s Promo Fresh product. According to Orlandi executives, these new ideas are exactly what candle manufacturers need to revive sales. In fact the category leader, Yankee Candle Company, achieved sales growth of 30% due in part to its introduction of new products such as the Car Jar air fresheners, Mr. Vega said.

“Many candle companies are looking for alternative instruments to introduce their fragrance creations into the home, using mediums such as gels and paper,” said Barry Vega, marketing manager of Orlandi. “Consumers are looking for easy-to-use and cost-effective ways to introduce fragrance into a variety of locations around the home.”

Orlandi provides many different vehicles to promote fragrance in the home, be it a fine fragrance or a candle flavor. Yankee Candle’s Car Jar air fresheners have found much success. According to Giftbeat magazine, the Yankee Car Jar was rated No. 2 in the best selling category of products costing $5 or less, Mr. Vega said. Victoria’s Secret drawer liners used Orlandi’s Liner Scents paper product. Executives noted the Liner Scent fragrance permeates clothing in a drawer without damaging the fabric or leaving residue. It also does not require any fuss or extraneous items such as an outlet to emit the fragrance.

“Orlandi has created a variety of different platforms to deliver fragrances, giving the consumer greater flexibility to introduce fragrance into their world,” explained Mr. Vega.

Orlandi also offers Personal Space Enhancers, the company’s trademark air freshener and manufactured Donna Karan’s bookmark using Orlandi’s Prescents trademarked pre-scented blotter card product wrapped in holographic foil. Another innovation, Stick-A-Scent, is a clip with an adhesive back that can be attached to various surfaces. The clip holds a scent card that can feature a scent and graphics, which Mr. Vega referred to as a “mini-billboard.”

“These products are constantly seen. Manufacturers love these items because they promote the name of a company or product continually,” said Mr. Vega.

In terms of point-of-purchase, air fresheners have a two-fold impact—fragrance and aesthetics—and both need to be engineered in just the right way. Also, if an air freshener is sold at point-of-purchase, it is probably the result of two things, revealed Mr. Vega. “First, the graphics, die cut and overall design will determine whether it will be used primarily as a car freshener or make the transition into home decorative use.” Mr. Vega noted. “Secondly, we found that in the candle industry, consumers buy air fresheners to get to know a scent. If they like it, they will go back to the store and buy the actual candle. So the candle and freshener work together to sell and promote products. And the fresheners give people an opportunity to explore a scent in an appealing, easy-to-use format.”

For the fall, Orlandi plans to introduce a label product, Touch-A-Scent, featuring a dry powder application to sample fine fragrances. Orlandi will also offer P.O.P. Scent, a point-of-purchase distribution piece to allow consumers to sample fragrances at their convenience.

The Choice is There

Perhaps the reason that the home fragrance market reached great heights in the past decade is due to innovation. Today, consumers can choose from a seemingly limitless number of scents.

“When I was a kid, Lysol was only available in one scent,” noted SeaquistPerfect Dispensing’s Ms. Kreider. “Now there are about six scents of the disinfectant spray alone. Consumers are selecting their cleaning products based on scent. Fragrance has become very important in the home.”

And without the ability to smell many sprayable items accurately in the store, the packaging has to do a lot of the talking. But that’s not all, according to Ridson-AMS’ Mr. Desrochers. “Packaging is always one of the important keys to a successful product,” he noted. “The package needs to reflect the marketing image, and you need a good scent too. But the price is also important.”

The name of the game is pleasing the consumer. And with the variety of old and new packaging choices available, packages are bound to do just that.